Need a show-stopper to “wow” at holiday gatherings? Stephanie Amlung creates deliciously beautiful baked goods from her home baking biz, A Charmingly Sweet Life—her decorative focaccia bread is a fall fave.
Ingredients
16 oz warm water (110°F)
7 grams active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
24 oz bread flour
6 oz olive oil, divided
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp flaky sea salt
Fresh herbs, veggies & meats
Instructions
Mix 8 oz warm water with yeast and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes or until yeast becomes bubbly. Place yeast mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 8 oz of flour, mix on low until combined. Add remaining water, 2 oz olive oil, kosher salt and half the remaining flour; mix on low until combined. Continue adding flour with mixer running on low until dough pulls away from the sides; dough will be very soft.
Knead dough for about 10 minutes or until it bounces back when lightly pressed. Transfer dough into a greased bowl, cover tightly, and let rise in a warm spot for 1–2 hours, until dough has doubled in size.
Pour enough olive oil into a 12x17 sheet pan to cover the bottom with a thin layer. Coat hands with olive oil before handing dough; it will be very loose. Lay dough in pan and begin stretching. If it shrinks, let rest for 15 minutes before stretching again. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Before baking, remove dough from fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Dimple dough surface with oiled fingers, then drizzle olive oil across the top until all dimples have oil in them. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and decorate with herbs, veggies and/or meats; brush with more olive oil to prevent burning. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
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